93 result(s) for Henri Nouwen Quotes.
"When we keep claiming the light, we will find ourselves becoming more and more radiant."
"Our society encourages individualism. But the more we seek to be self-sufficient, the more we experience a deep emptiness and the more we become lonely."
"Waiting is a period of learning. The longer we wait, the more we hear about him for whom we are waiting."
"To love a person means to see him as God intended him to be."
"Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile."
"Every time we give up trying to manipulate reality into what we think it needs to be, we are more available to the presence of God."
"A life without trust is a life without joy."
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"Prayer is listening to the voice of love."
"The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."
"We think we have to do something to be loved. But the truth is, we have to be loved to do anything."
"You don't think your way into a new kind of living. You live your way into a new kind of thinking."
"Our community is a safe place for all of our brokenness."
"Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life... all of our life."
"Loneliness is one of the most universal sources of human suffering today."
"We are not what we do, we are what we are loved for."
"Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others."
"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives—the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures—that requires hard spiritual work."
"In order to be of service to others, we have to die to them; that is, we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others."
"Friendship is one of the greatest gifts a human being can receive. It is a bond beyond common goals, common interests, or common histories."
"What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love."
"The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing, and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."
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"One of the arguments against the spiritual life is that it is self-absorbed. But it is the opposite. The spiritual life puts us in touch with the source of all life."
"Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity."
"The willingness to see the essential goodness of other persons is a spiritual discipline that enables us to receive the humanity of others as a gift."
"The dance of life finds its beginnings in grief. We must allow ourselves to grieve, to tear, to shed, so that we can one day love more deeply."
"Your heart is the sanctuary where true prayer takes place."
"Without silence, words lose their meaning."
"We are all called to be mothers of God... for God is always needing to be born."
"We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy."
"The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful."
"To pray is to walk in the full light of God, and to say simply, without holding back, 'I am human and you are God.'"
"One of the tragedies of our life is that we keep forgetting who we are."
"The real question is not what our problems are, but what we do with them."
"When we claim and constantly reclaim the truth of being the chosen ones, we soon discover within ourselves a deep desire to reveal to others their own chosenness."
"The friend who can be close to us even when we are not at our best is invaluable."
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"It is hard to believe that my sadness is not a fact about life but a reaction to the way I view life."
"Prayer is standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart."
"The best way to live a joyful life is by continually choosing joy in all circumstances."
"When we start being too impressed by the results of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard... where numbers tell us at every moment how well we are doing."
"The dance of life finds its beginnings in grief... It is the gentle brush of God’s hand upon our cheek."
"Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain."
"Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient, we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later, and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand."
"Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines."
"Our society is so fragmented, our family lives so sundered by physical and emotional distance, our friendships so sporadic; in short, the moral fabric of our community is so ruptured, that after we have done all that we can to patch and mend, to prop up and re-enforce, there still remains in the end, a frayed and brittle fabric, lending through all we have woven about it a glassy quality - a brittle, unyielding quality, that leaves in the end to the concerned touch a sense of frustration."
"Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, "How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now?" There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go."
"The man who keeps busy helping the man below him won't have time to envy the man above him."
"Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour, increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."
"All human beings are called to 'the way' where the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the sick are healed, the lonely are loved, and the captives are set free. And those who walk this way practice the works of mercy and bring the secrets of joy to fulfillment."
"The more you have, the more you are occupied. The less you have, the more free you are."
"By befriending our inner demons rather than by running away from them, we open the door to a deeper knowledge of ourselves and lead a more balanced and relaxed life."
"Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, 'How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now?' There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day."
"Grief is the form that love takes when someone we love dies."
"The more you are in touch with yourself, the more you are in touch with others."
"The word 'friend' in the Gospel means 'the one who is willing to take the first step.'"
"Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. The greatest pain comes from leaving. The greatest joy comes from returning."
"Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour - unceasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."
"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand."
"We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for."
"When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. The pain is intense now; nothing comes easily, but with time and perseverance, we will be transformed."
"Our society encourages individualism, breaking through the wall of isolation requires tremendous determination, risk, and vulnerability. Still, the choice is clear, we can embrace community, or we will find ourselves incapable of truly loving anyone."
"The more insecure, lonely, and broken we feel, the greater our impulse to cover over our painful emotions with anger and self-righteousness. It is in this state that we truly need others to show mercy and compassion."
"It is in community that we discover not only what we mean to others but who we really are. Living together helps us become truthful, accepting, and committed to much beyond social walls."
"To all of you I want to say: Do not be afraid of the love we all so deeply desire. There will be heartbreak, pain, and disappointment, but it's all part of the journey toward becoming genuine human beings."
"The Church is always one generation away from losing her faith. Therefore, it is our responsibility to raise up courageous and contemplative leaders who will guide the body of Christ with wisdom and love."
"To be a caregiver means entering into the fears, pains, and joys of those we care for. It is a sacred task that requires humility, love, and a willingness to be transformed through the encounter with the other."
"Our lives are not for us to possess or control, instead, we are called to give ourselves away in selfless love. Only when we let go of the need to possess can we truly live in freedom and unity with others."
"We need to create space where others can be themselves, where they can be free to express their pains, struggles, and joys without fear of judgment. It is in this space of hospitality that we find the seeds of true community."
"We might be more inclined to see people in their poverty, brokenness, and vulnerability if we acknowledged our own neediness first. It is in this recognition of our shared brokenness that we can truly connect with others in love."
"The art of compassion lies in our ability to listen deeply, to honor the vulnerability of the other, and to offer solace without needing to fix or change their pain. True compassion does not seek to control but to embrace the other as they are."
"In our pursuit of success and wealth, we often overlook the beauty of simplicity, the richness of shared relationships, and the joy found in serving others. It is in these simple acts of love that we discover the true meaning of life."
"Let us not be afraid of the darkness within and around us, for it is in the darkness that we encounter the light of love. Embracing our shadows with courage and humility leads us on the path to true healing and transformation."
"We spend much of our lives trying to prove our worth and competency, but true value lies not in what we achieve but in how deeply we can love and be loved. It is in this exchange of love that we find our true purpose and fulfillment."
"The journey of faith is not a straight path but a series of curves, detours, and obstacles. It is in these moments of uncertainty that we learn to trust, surrender, and lean on the support of others. Faith is not about having all the answers but about walking together in the mystery of God's love."
"The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares."
"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand."
"True care cannot begin with the reach of the hand but must start from the reach of the heart."
"Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy."
"Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day."
"We are not the healing, but the wound. And we are called to follow the path of Jesus; we are called to embrace and heal the wounds of the world."
"Those who are marginal in the world are central in the Church, and that is how it is meant to be! Maybe others can do many things we cannot do, but no one else, no one, in the whole of history, can be who we are."
"As we become aware that forgiving and being forgiven are both gifts of God's grace, our faith makes it possible to see those who hurt us not as our enemies, but as fellow human beings who are in need of God's mercy."
"When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become."
"The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection."
"Solitude is the furnace of transformation."
"All great spirituality is about what we do with our pain."
"The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it."
"What we see, and like to see, is cure and change. But what we do not see and do not want to see is care: the participation in the pain, the solidarity in suffering, the sharing in the experience of brokenness."
"By choosing silence, we allow the interruptions in our lives to become intersections that open the door to grace."
"We are not the producers of our lives because if we were, we would probably know better what is best for us."
"In the spiritual life, the word 'discipline' means 'the effort to create some space in which God can act.'"
"Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish."
"A friend is…a gift… not an opportunity for ministry."
"My God, I pray that these things never end, the sand and the sea, the rush of the waters, the crash of the heavens, the prayer of the heart."
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